Hundreds of swimmers on Sunday proved the 2017 World OutGames Miami unsinkable, despite the financial disaster that nearly ended this week’s international conference before it began.
“It’s exciting to be with swimmers from all over,” said Jax Cole, 36, a Long Beach, California, athlete who joined the OutGames aquatic competitions Sunday at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove.
“The OutGames demonstrated integrity upon sufficient pressure, which to me indicates negligence,” said Cole, referring to the mess that blew up Friday morning as hundreds — perhaps thousands — of participants began to arrive in South Florida from as far away as Africa and Australia.
They arrived in South Beach to a mostly canceled and wildly disorganized World OutGames. Since then, Miami Beach city officials helped salvage some competitions — and police have launched an investigation of OutGames organizers for possible misappropriation of funds.
Beginning Friday afternoon, calls went out via social networking for community volunteers to help facilitate the remaining games and events. Among those who stepped up: state Rep. David Richardson, D-Miami Beach, Florida’s first openly gay lawmaker.
Read more at our news partner, the Miami Herald.
